Traveling smart can prevent problems

Written by Tunica Times
Thursday, 10 June 2010 15:29

With industry experts predicting international and domestic travel will pick up this year, officials with Citizens Bank of Tunica and the nation’s nearly 800 community banks don’t want customers to leave home without the information they need to keep their money safe.Financial professionals agree that the safest and most convenient way to take money when traveling is to bring a small amount of cash and carry a debit, credit or ATM card. They note cards are easy to carry, easy to use and often have the lowest fees and best exchange rates.

Nevertheless, professionals advise travelers to plan ahead. CB&T offers eight tips to take care of before hitting the road. Travelers should:• let their community bank know when and where they will be traveling so that they will avoid any potential for fraud alerts when out of the ordinary transactions are posted.• call or stop by their community bank to find out what ATM or debit car fees they may be subject to in this country and abroad.• keep in mind that ATMs in many countries only accept four digit personal identification numbers and some countries have keyboards with numbers only, while others do not acknowledge zeroes. Ask your community bank if you should create a new PIN for your account before you take your trip.• Carry a back-up card that can be kept in a separate place. Families or couples may get even greater back-up coverage if each person takes a different card.• Make copies of all the cards being carried. Be sure to copy the front and back of the card. Give the copy to someone you trust back home. Be sure to include the security code for the card and the customer service phone number if possible.• bring a list of emergency phone numbers, but remember, 800 numbers can only be used in the United States and Canada. Be sure to get a number for the bank that can be used overseas.• ask a community bank if special services are available through your card. Many credit cards provide travel accident insurance and traveler’s assistance.• check their balance before they leave. Know the limits on how much can be withdrawn and save all receipts.